


actions rather than words

by littlehellions



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, First Kiss, Fix-It, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Safe Haven, Thomas is So Whipped, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 12:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15001079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlehellions/pseuds/littlehellions
Summary: “G’morning,” Thomas said, voice barely above a whisper. Newt didn’t reply, just grinned lazily and tightened his grip on Thomas, snuggling in closer and tangling their legs together.///(a sleepy morning in paradise)





	actions rather than words

Opening his eyes, the first thing Thomas saw was a mop of blond hair illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the flap in their small tent. He took a deep breath and smelt the salty ocean air that he had become accustomed to combined with a smell his mind associated with the boy currently occupying his bed with him. He smiled to himself, closing his eyes once again and letting his body relax.

Relaxation was still something he was growing used to. The constant need to be on alert was something he knew everyone struggled with now that they had finally reached the Safe Haven. It still seemed like another one of WICKD’s cruel games, but he knew that it was just the trauma he had been through that made him think that way.

The trials had been tough for everyone, and Thomas was no exception. He often woke up screaming in the middle of the night, shaking and crying with Newt’s name on his lips. Luckily, he always had the boy at his side quickly, having moved into the same tent as him the moment he was well enough to leave the makeshift infirmary they had built on the island. Sometimes it would take hours for him to fully calm down, but Newt held him close and whispered soothing reassurances into his hair until he felt like he could breathe again every time.

Recently, though, Newt hadn’t just been sharing a tent with him, but also a bed. If anything it was for convenience's sake, because if he was being honest somehow Newt ended up in his bed or vice versa every night anyway. It only made sense to pile all of their blankets on one bed and for Newt to move his pillow over so they didn’t have to share.

Thomas couldn’t say that he minded in the least, as his nightmares had been significantly less frequent since they began their new sleeping arrangement. More often than not, the two boys would wake up in a tangle of limbs; never discussing their compromising positions outside of the safety of the tent.

He knew, at this point, that he loved Newt more than anyone else, and that he would gladly give his life to save his any day. It had even crossed his mind a few times the possibility of whether or not he was _in_ love with Newt, but judging by the way his heart fluttered and stomach dropped every time that he thought about it, the answer was pretty clear and it was unnecessary for him to torture himself further by thinking about it.

The lines in their friendship had become rather blurred, making it hard for Thomas to tell what he was and wasn’t allowed to do. If he had it his way, he’d be constantly showering Newt with all the love and affection that he deserved, reminding him every day how much Thomas loved him through actions rather than words. This, of course, overstepped boundaries that even they had yet to cross, even though sometimes it seemed like it wouldn’t be as unwelcome as Thomas feared.

Like, for instance, when the two has moments such as the ones they would share, hidden away from the world, pressed against one another and giggling through conversations that would be meaningless to anyone else.

It was moments like this, where Newt would let down his carefully built walls around Thomas, and let himself breathe. Where soft puffs of air against his collarbone combined with pale hands gripping the fabric of his shirt could convince him that maybe he wasn’t imagining things and that maybe Newt wanted this too.

Just then, the boy in question started to stir again Thomas, his hands flexing on Thomas’s torso as he slowly regained consciousness. Brought out of his train of thought, Thomas could only watch in muted joy as Newt pulled back an inch or two to let out a yawn, bringing one hand up to rub at his eyes. He was struck again with the amount of love he had for this beautiful boy in his bed, blankets pulled to his chin as he peered out sleepily at Thomas.

“G’morning,” Thomas said, voice barely above a whisper. Newt didn’t reply, just grinned lazily and tightened his grip on Thomas, snuggling in closer and tangling their legs together.

Heart filled to the brim with pure adoration, the brunet lifted a hand to card through golden strands, a motion that only made Newt burrow deeper into his neck, humming contently.

“Mornin’ Tommy,” he muttered, lips brushing against Thomas’s bare skin and sending involuntary shivers down his spine.

_Yeah_. Thomas thought. _I could get used to this_.

Overwhelmed with affection for the lanky boy in his arms, without thinking he tilted his head and pressed a soft kiss into the boy’s matted golden locks. He realized his mistake a little late, though, because Newt tensed immediately, and pulled back just enough to make eye contact. Thomas was sure that his heart was going to beat right out of his chest, an apology already on his lips.

Before he could say anything, however, Newt beat him to it. “What was that for?” he questioned, the roughness of his voice making Thomas’s heart flutter. He looked so pretty there, the early morning light softening his boyish features and making the tips of his hair glow.

_It really is the only way to describe him,_ Thomas thought in awe, _Just- so fucking_ pretty.

A rosy blush painted over said (pretty) boy’s cheeks, and Thomas realized he must have said as much out loud. Before he could even consider formulating a response, Newt was leaning forward and capturing his lips in a soft kiss.

The blond pulled back, cheeks burning as he averted his eyes. Thomas must have been in shock. He could almost feel his lips tingling from the brief second of contact, and he found himself reaching out to cup Newt’s cheek and tilt his head. He never wanted to see the boy look so unsure again. Slowly, as not to break the trance they’d entered, he leaned in and pressed kiss after kiss to Newt’s face, starting with his cheeks, moving over his forehead and down to the tip of his nose, at last reaching his lips. He looked up, and Newt’s wide eyes and dilated pupils were all the permission he needed.

He closed the distance between them, moving his unoccupied hand into Newt’s hair. He felt the blond go pliant in his arms, one hand gripping his waist and the other sliding up to rest on his chest.

The slow press and slide of their lips was maddening, even more so when Newt darted his tongue out to trace the seam of Thomas’s mouth. He opened up without hesitation, letting Newt take control. At the first touch of their tongues, he felt one of them (it was impossible to tell who at that point) gasp into the kiss. Newt took his time taking him apart piece by piece, and artfully putting him back together in the way he traced symbols on the roof of Thomas’s mouth.

Eventually, the both of them were smiling far too much to make anything even remotely resembling a kiss, and Thomas pulled back to rest his forehead against that of the blond.

He was sure the wide grin stretching across his face would have made him feel embarrassed if not for the identical love-struck expression he could see on Newt’s face. His cheeks glowed in the warm light, eyes crinkled at the corners, all traces of sleep gone.

“You have no idea how bloody long I’ve wanted to do that for,” were the words that broke the silence.

Thomas felt his mouth drop open in shock. “What?”

Newt giggled (actually _giggled_ ) and pressed his lips to Thomas’s for only a moment before pulling back again. “Practically since the day you popped up in the box, I’ll have you know.”

None of this information helped Thomas work through his shock, and his eyes widened further (if that was even possible) at the confession. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Hey, s’not my fault you’re too damn oblivious to have noticed my gross pining.” Newt chuckled, caressing Thomas’s cheek with the pad of his thumb, “You coulda said something too, darling.”

Thomas was sure his brain was malfunctioning.

“You- but I didn’t- did you just call me- I- _pining?_ How were- _what_ -“ He sputtered, trying to make sense of the situation and having a very tough time of it (and no, it definitely wasn’t because of the way Newt was looking at him or how the hand that was on his cheek was now in his hair and _how is this his life?_ ).

A pair of lips on his brought him back to reality but left just as quickly as the owner was laughing far too much. He felt puffs of air on his chin from it and pouted his lips as he pretended that the sound of Newt laughing wasn’t the most beautiful sound to ever grace his ears.

He buried his head into Newt’s shaking chest with a groan, wrapping his arms around the thin boy’s torso. It only took a few more moments for Newt to compose himself and quietly take up the task of gently combing the knots out of Thomas’s dark hair with his fingers until he emerged from his hiding place.

When he did, he looked at Newt for a long moment before asking, “You know I love you, right?”

Now it was the blond’s turn to look shocked. He snapped himself out of it, though, and said, “Yeah Tommy, ‘course I know that. How long have we known each other for now anyway?”

Thomas shook his head, needing Newt to understand what he meant. “No, I mean, I’m _in love with you_ Newt.” The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment as he and Newt looked at each other, one whose eyes were filled with love and desperation, while the other’s gleamed with surprise and hope. Thomas felt his heart pound against his ribcage, but didn't regret what he said for a moment. Newt needed to know how irreversibly in  _love_ he was with him, regardless of whether he felt the same.

“I- uh- bloody _hell_.” was all the surprised and blushing boy could choke out before he darted down and kissed Thomas like the world was ending. They kissed for days, months, years (who could really tell), and somehow Thomas found himself situated above Newt with one hand in his hair and the other supporting his weight. If Thomas could feel the tears on Newt’s face, he didn’t let on.

“I love you too Tommy,” he breathed when they broke apart for air, “Fuck, I always have.”

Thomas wanted to say that he knew, that thinking back, he’d known for a while. He wanted to tell him that words were useless in describing the way he felt about him, and that there was no way to capture all that he felt in a handful of sentences. He wanted to say that it was him who made it all worth it.

He wanted to tell him about the weeks that they didn’t know if he would live and how wrecked Thomas was, and how he realized that he didn’t ever want to have to live in a world without him in it.

How the way his eyes twinkled in the moonlight staring out at constellations trillions of miles away and his hands that had brought the fall of an empire but were so gentle with him gave him a reason to live; a reason to keep trying.

There was so much he wanted- no- _needed_ to tell him, but for now he settled for leaning back down and showing him.

Judging by the soft sigh as he reciprocated immediately, Newt didn’t seem to mind the alternate course of action all that much anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! the world needs more soft newtmas, doesn't it?
> 
> sidenote- i wrote this instead of studying for finals and i'm more than a little sleep deprived shhhh
> 
> kudos and comments make me a Very Happy Boy <3


End file.
